You may be sad that football is gone now that the Super Bowl is over. But fear not, professional football continues this weekend with the start of the Alliance of American Football (AAF). The league is 8 teams spread across the southern United States (team list below). Players were allocated to the teams based off where they played in College or in the Pros (for more information on the team allocation, check out this post on the AAF subreddit). To make the spread of quarterbacks more even across all teams, they held a ‘Protect or Pick QB Draft’ where teams got to take turns selecting the QBs for their team (to learn more about that, check out our ‘Protect or Pick’ mock draft). The league made some big announcements this past week as they finished setting their broadcast partnerships. There will be 4 games each weekend, with 1 game on CBSSports, 1 game streaming on B/R Live, and 2 games on the NFL Network. The deal with CBS includes having both the opening game and the championship game being aired on CBS. The deal with Turner Sports for B/R Live also includes one game (2/16) to be aired on TNT as a lead-in to the NBA All-Star Game.
The league is filled with guys that are looking for another shot in the NFL or guys that are just on the cusp of making it for the first time. Here we take a look at the players in the league the best way we know how, by doing a Best 53(2) (the league rosters are actually 52 players as opposed to the 53 in the NFL).
Team List & Head Coaches
- Orlando Apollos / Steve Spurrier
- Atlanta Legends / Kevin Coyle
- Memphis Express / Mike Singletary
- Salt Lake Stallions / Dennis Erickson
- Arizona Hotshots / Rick Neuheisel
- San Diego Fleet / Mike Martz
- Birmingham Iron / Tim Lewis
- San Antonio Commanders / Mike Riley
The Offense
Quarterbacks
| QBs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Christian Hackenberg | Luis Perez | Garrett Gilbert |
| Express | Iron | Apollos |
| Jets '16-'18 Raiders '18 Eagles '18 | Rams '18 | Rams '14 Patriots '14 Raiders '15-16 Panthers '17-'18 |
The Memphis Express had the largest and (in my opinion) best pool of QBs going into the draft. After coming out of training camp, it looks like their starting QB is going to be former Penn St. star Christian Hackenberg. Hack will be backed up by former Tennessee Titans QB Zach Mettenberger. Out next QB is the one I was the highest on going into the draft, former Division 2 Player of the Year, Luis Perez. Perez spent this past NFL training camp with the Rams, earning high praise from coach Sean McVay. He is my dark-horse for league MVP this year. Our next QB is former Georgia standout Aaron Murray. Murray comes out of the broadcast booth and back onto the field where he will be coached by Legends Offensive Coordinator, Mike Vick. **Update: Murray was beat out for the starting job by former Jets QB Matt Simms and it was recently reported that Vick is out as offensive coordinator due to his broadcasting obligations but will stay on as a consultant.** So our third QB to highlight is the Apollos Garrett Gilbert. Gilbert transferred to SMU after losing the starting job at Texas to Case McCoy. He went on to be drafted in the 6th round by the Rams in 2014. He was signed by the Panthers this season to backup Kyle Allen after Cam Newton and Taylor Heinicke went down for the year. We are only highlighting our top 3, but the league is filled with talented QBs, including the Stallions Josh Woodrum, the Commanders Dustin Vaugh and Logan Woodside, and the Fleets Mike Bercovici. The Fleet lost their #1 overall pick, Josh Johnson, to the Redskins this season, and while he is still eligible to rejoin the Fleet, rumors are he is working on a deal to stay with the Redskins.
Running Backs
| RBs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Trent Richardson | Denard Robinson | Zac Stacy |
| Iron | Legends | Express |
| Browns '12-'13 Colts '13-'14 | Jaguars '13-'16 | Rams '13-'14 Jets '15 |
| Matt Asiata | ||
| Stallions | ||
| Vikings '12-'16 |
After the quarterbacks, running back is the next position with the most former NFL talent. We start with former #3 overall pick in the NFL Draft, Trent Richardson. Next we have former Michigan standout Denard Robinson. Next is former Rams starting RB Zac Stacy. Stacy previously retired from the NFL after issues with injuries, but now looks to make a comeback as the lead back for the Express. We round out the group with former Vikings starting RB Matt Asiata.
**Update: Both Denard Robinson and Matt Asiata were beat out for top spot on their teams depth charts. Tarean Folston is listed as the starter for the Legends and Joel Bouagnon is the starter for the Stallions.
Other notables – Akeem Hunt, Brandon Oliver, David Cobb, Kenneth Farrow, Bishop Sankey* (on IR)
Wide Receivers
| WRs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stephen Hill | Josh Huff | Charles Johnson |
| Legends | Hotshots | Apollos |
| Jet '12-'13 Panthers '14 | Eagles '14-'16 Bucs '16 | Vikings '14-'16 |
| Donteea Dye | Quan Bray | Quinton Patton |
| Apollos | Iron | Iron |
| Bucs '15-'16 | Colts '15-'17 | 49ers '13-'16 |
Stephen Hill is a former 2nd round pick out of Georgia Tech by the Jets. Josh Huff is the former speedster from the Chip Kelly era Oregon Ducks. He was drafted in the 3rd round by Kelly with the Eagles. Charles Johnson started 17 games over his 3 years with the Vikings. Injuries halted his climb from Division 2 standout to NFL star, but he hopes to get that going again under Spurrier and the Apollos. Donteea Dye was one of the players we highlighted in our article about Division 3 players hoping to make it in the AAF. Dye has bounced back and forth from the active roster and practice squad for the Bucs for the last 3 seasons. He now looks to be a standout alongside Johnson on the Apollos. Quan Bray made his way onto the Colts active roster after going undrafted out of Auburn. He mainly returned punts and kicks over his 3 years with Indy. Quinton Patton played 4 years for the 49ers, including starting in all 14 games he played in in his final season with the team. Injuries halted his NFL career, but he hopes to revive that with the Iron.
Other Notables – Greg Ward Jr, Chris Thompson, Demarcus Ayers, Freddie Martino, Jalin Marshall, Kaelin Clay, Rashad Ross
Tight Ends
| TEs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Gavin Escobar | Austin Traylor | Evan Rodriguez |
| Fleet | Stallions | Commanders |
| Cowboys '13-'16 Ravens '17 | Broncos '17 | Bears '12 Bills '13 Bucs '14 |
Gavin Escobar played 4 seasons with the Cowboys after being drafted in the 4th round out of San Diego St. He now returns to his former college stadium as a big weapon for Mike Martz and the Fleet. Austin Traylor spent the past 2 season bouncing around the practice squad for the Broncos, including catching 8 balls for 100 yards for Denver in 2017. We finish out the TEs with the former Bears 4th round pick Evan Rodriguez.
Other Notables – Adrien Robinson, Connor Hamlett, Gerald Christian
Offensive Line
| OL | ||
|---|---|---|
| T Jeremiah Poutasi | T Tre' Jackson | G Andrew Tiller |
| Stallions | Apollos | Apollos |
| Titans '15 Jaguars '16 | Patriots '15 | Saints '12 49ers '14-'16 |
| G Dallas Thomas | C Demetrius Rhaney | T Toby Weathersby |
| Express | Express | Express |
| Dolphins '13-'16 | Rams '14-'16 Redskins '17 | Eagles '18 |
| G Brian Folkerts | C Patrick Lewis | |
| Commanders | Hotshots | |
| Panthers '13-'14 Rams '15 | Browns '14 Seahawks '14-'15 Bills '16 |
We have a slew of former NFL backups on the offensive line. Some standouts include Jeremiah Poutasi who was a 3rd round pick by the Titans in 2015 out of Utah, Demetrius Rhaney who spent the last 2 seasons off and on with the Redskins, Patrick Lewis who spent time as the starting center for the Seahawks in ’14 & ’15 and Toby Weathersby who was an UDFA signing this season out of LSU for the Eagles who then went on to the practice squad for the Patriots.
The Defense
Defensive Line
| DL | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sealver Siliga | Joey Mbu | Will Sutton |
| Stallions | Commanders | Hotshots |
| Broncos '12 Patriots '13-'15 Seahawks '16 Bucs '16-'17 | Falcons '15-'16 Redskins '16 Colts '17 | Bears '14-'16 |
| Mike Purcell | ||
| Stallions | ||
| 49ers '14-'16 |
Since there will mostly likely be different fronts run throughout the league, we’ll separate the defensive front into interior defensive line and edge defenders. Sealver Siliga has bounced around to a few NFL teams, but spent 2013-15 with the Patriots, including starting in Super Bowl 49 for New England. Joey Mbu has most recently been on the active roster for the Colts in 2017 and was a fan favorite here in the RVA that season during training camp with the Redskins. Will Sutton spent 3 yeas with the Bears after being a 3rd round pick in 2014. He now returns to his college home in Sun Devil Stadium with the Hotshots.
Other Notables – Tenny Palepoi, Montori Highes, TJ Barnes, Leon Orr, Chunky Clements, Julius Warmsley, Lawrence Okoye, Ricky Hatley
Edge
| EDGE | ||
|---|---|---|
| Damontre Moore | Devin Taylor | Anthony Johnson |
| Fleet | Iron | Express |
| Giants '13-'15 Dolphins '15 Seahawks '16 Cowboys '17 Raiders '18 | Lions '13-'16 Giants '17 | Dolphins '14 Patriots '16 Jets '16 Colts '17 |
| Jonathan Massaquoi | Obum Gwacham | Ryan Davis |
| Iron | Hotshots | Apollos |
| Falcons '12-'14 | Saints '15-'16 Jets '17 | Jaguars '12-'15 Cowboys '16 Bills '17 |
Damontre Moore was an All-American at Texas A&M before becoming a 3rd round pick of the New York Giants in 2013. Devin Taylor was a standout at South Carolina before being drafting in the 4th round by the Lions in 2013. The rest of these guys have spent time bouncing around from practice squads to active rosters of various NFL teams over the past few years.
Other Notables – Chris Odum, Earl Okine, Johnny Maxey, Dylan Donahue, Tyrone Holmes
Linebackers
| LBs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Terence Garvin | Scooby Wright | Steven Johnson |
| Apollos | Hotshots | Hotshots |
| Steelers '13-'15 Redskins '16 Seahawks '17 49ers '18 | Cardinals '16-'17 | Broncos '12-'14 Titans '15 Steelers '16-'17 Ravens '17 |
| Trevor Reilly | Edmond Robinson | |
| Stallions | Hotshots | |
| Jets '14-'15 Dolphins '16 Patriots '17 | Vikings '15-'16 Jets '17 |
There is a solid mix of former NFL and young standouts at the linebacker position. Terence Garvin played 3 years for the Steelers after signing as an UDFA in 2013. He spent 2016 with the Redskins where he was a special teams standout. Scooby Wright was one of the standouts of college football after his sophomore season in 2014. He was Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and finished 9th on the Heisman Trophy ballot. An injury plagued junior year had him fall to the 7th round of the NFL draft in 2016. He’ll look to return as a defensive star for the Hotshots. Trevor Reilly spent time working his way through the AFC East, getting drafted by the Jets, on the Patriots practice squad, signed by the Dolphins, then back to the Patriots.
Other Notables – Greer Martini, Jarone Elliott, AJ Tarpley, Eric Pinkins, Carl Bradford, Brandon Watts, Baelin Burnett, Quentin Gause, Steve Beauharnais
Cornerbacks
| CBs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dexter McDougle | Chris Davis | Sterling Moore |
| Hotshots | Iron | Hotshots |
| Jets '14-'16 Saints '17 Eagles '17-'18 | Chargers '14 49ers '15-'16 | Patriots '11-'12 Cowboys '12-'14 Bucs '15 Saints '16-'17 |
| LaDarius Gunter | De'Vante Bausby | Steve Williams |
| Apollos | Commanders | Stallions |
| Packers '15-'17 Panthers '17 | Bears '16 Eagles '18 | Chargers '14-'16 Rams '16 |
Dexter McDougle was a 3rd round pick in 2014 by the Jets. He most recently spent 2 games this season on the active roster for the Eagles. Chris Davis is still most remembered for his ‘Kick 6’ against Alabama while at Auburn. He spent the 2014 season returning kicks for the Chargers before spending 2 seasons with the 49ers. De’Vante Bausby exploded onto the scene when he ran a 4.22 40 at his pro day coming out of Division 2 Pittsburgh State. He spent the past 2 season on the practice squad for the Eagles.
Other Notables – Ron Brooks, Keith Reaser, Charles James, Cody Riggs, D’Joun Smith, Greg Ducre, CJ Smith, Doran Grant, Jude Adjei-Barimah, Kurtis Drummond, Trovon Reed, Will Davis
Safeties
| Ss | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rahim Moore | Derron Smith | Will Hill |
| Hotshots | Commanders | Apollos |
| Broncos '11-'14 Texans '15 | Bengals ;15-'17 Browns '17 | Giants '12-'13 Ravens '14-'15 |
| Josh Evans | ||
| Apollos | ||
| Jaguars '13-'15 Redskins '16 |
For Broncos fans, yes, that Rahim Moore. Moore was a 2nd round pick in 2011 out of UCLA by the Broncos. Unfortunately for Moore, he is most remembered for the ‘Mile High Miracle.’ In the 2013 playoffs, the Broncos were up on the Ravens with less than a minute to go. Flacco throws up a hail mary to Jacoby Jones, but Moore misjudges the ball and it goes over his head and into Jones’ arms for the game tying TD. Baltimore went on to win. He spent the last 2 seasons in camp with the Browns and Giants.
Other Notables – Ed Reynolds, Robert Nelson, Jerome Couplin
Specialists and Head Coach
| ST | ||
|---|---|---|
| K Nick Folk | P Brad Wing | LS Jeff Overbaugh |
| Hotshots | Express | Legends |
| Cowboys '07-'09 Jets '10-'16 Bucs '17 | Steelers '14 Giants '15-'17 | Vikings '17 Falcons '18 |
| Head Coach | Steve Spurrier | Apollos |
There are 3 former NFL starting kickers in the AAF; Nick Novak, Younghoe Koo, and Nick Folk. We’ll give the nod here to Folk. Brad Wing was the punter for the Giants from 2015-17. And it’s tough to say who the best long snapper is out of the bunch, but we’ll give the nod to Jeff Overbaugh given his recent stint in the NFL.
There are multiple big names when it comes to coaches in the AAF. We have already seen the departure of 3 of the big names, with Legends HC Brad Childress stepping down, Fleet offensive coordinator Jon Kitna taking the QB coach job with the Cowboys, and Hotshots offensive coordinator Hugh Freeze taking the head coaching job at Liberty University. But we still have names like Mike Singletary, Mike Martz, Rick Neuheisel, and our pick for the coach we are most excited to see, the ol’ ball coach, Steve Spurrier.
The Starting 22
Here’s a look at our preseason 1st-team All Offense and Defense.
| Offense | |
|---|---|
| QB | Christian Hackenberg |
| RB | Trent Richardson |
| Z | Stephen Hill |
| X | Charles Johnson |
| SLOT | Josh Huff |
| TE | Gavin Escobar |
| LT | Jeremiah Poutasi |
| LG | Dallas Thomas |
| C | Demetrius Rhaney |
| RG | Andrew Tiller |
| RT | Tre' Jackson |
| Defense | |
|---|---|
| DE | Anthony Johnson |
| NT | Joey Mbu |
| DT | Sealver Siliga |
| Sam | Damontre Moore |
| Mike | Terence Garvin |
| Will | Scooby Wright |
| Jack | Devin Taylor |
| CB | Dexter McDougle |
| CB | Chris Davis |
| SS | Will Hill |
| FS | Rahim Moore |